Icon Tutorial 06 - An Icon Is Never Finished
This icon tutorial was made for Photoshop but should apply to other graphics software as well.The purpose of this particular tutorial is to show you that there is no end to an icon. There is no limit to the layers you can have or the colors you can add. But this tutorial uses only two light textures and one brush, and they are simple, made just for this tutorial. Even if you have minimal brushes, textures, and text, you can still create a totally different icon with just a few layers.
Step 1: Crop the image (from kellysource.com) and sharpen once. Duplicate the layer and set it to Screen at 30%. Duplicate the new layer and set it to Overlay at 40%.
Step 2: Place these textures by me on Hard Light 100%.
Step 3: New Adjustment Layer - Levels. This is just like applying levels to an image, except it affects all layers below it. I prefer Adjustment Layers because they can be changed at any time, while applying an adjustment to the image itself cannot be undone later. Use the following settings: Red 0, 1.06, 255; Green 6, 1.38, 255.
Step 4: Apply borders on a new layer using the selection tool and filling with white.
Step 5: New Adjustment Layer - Color Balance with these settings: 51, -43, -15.
From here on, you can add brushes, textures, text, etc. But I like going back to the icon and making changes. I'm often not happy with the result of my art, so I'll show you that an icon to me is never finished.
Step 6: Hide the Adjustment Layer from Step 5. Make a new Adjustment Layer - Color Balance with these settings: -33, 10, 31.
Step 7: Hide the white border from Step 4. Add this brush on a new layer.
Step 8: Add a new Adjustment Layer - Gradient Map. Create a new gradient that goes from #C62E3A to white. Set the Adjustment Layer to Color Burn.
Step 9: Double click the gradient from the Adjustment Layer in Step 8. Check 'Reverse.'
Step 10: Let's see it with white borders. Hide the black brush layer created in Step 7. Make visible the layer made in Step 4 that was hidden in Step 7.
As you can see, I could have finished the icon as early as step 4, and I could have kept going past step 10. You could add brushes, textures, and change up the composition to make completely different icons. But see the different results you can achieve with just a few layers:
See the rest of the icons here
Please feel free to comment with your results at my LiveJournal.